Nearly 50 million Americans are looking at electric vehicles for their next purchase

Range anxiety and lack of charging stations still slowing adoption

Electric vehicle adoption is steadily increasing as costs are slowly coming down to affordable levels. According to a recent survey from AAA, nearly 20 percent of Americans are considering an electric vehicle the next time they make a purchase.

Last year in the same survey, it was found that only 15 percent would consider an electric vehicle. The increase is encouraging to automakers currently offering electric vehicles and also puts the pressure on those that still do not have fully electric vehicles available yet.

Part of the increase can be attributed to pure awareness of what electric vehicles can actually do. When electric cars were first introduced, they were viewed as slow and very limited in range. Now that Tesla has pioneered the way, performance offered by electric motors is actually viewed as an improvement by the majority of consumers.

The survey also gives some insight into why some people are unwilling to adopt an electric vehicle. The number one reason cited was lack of places to recharge. Out of the sample group, 63 percent mentioned charging to be a concern followed by 58 percent expressing concern about range limitations. Younger participants in the survey were less anxious about range compared to older generations.

Of course, AAA would like to make it known that their roadside assistance program has trucks with on-board chargers to help electric vehicle owners should they run out of juice. Thousands of recharge requests have been made by AAA subscribers.

As infrastructure improves to provide greater support for fast charging of vehicles, the number one reason inhibiting adoption will be fixed. Range limitations will narrow over time as batteries are improved and power management is enhanced.